A new international break arrives carrying plenty of surprises and heated events around the world. An Arab star wears Germany’s jersey for the first time, two brothers make history together with the world champions, and an Arab clash ignites over a new World Cup spot—while major national teams prepare to officially bid farewell to their World Cup dreams.
In this video from your channel Koorno.com , we highlight the most important events awaiting football fans in this international window.
An Arab star makes his debut for Germany
Lebanese-origin talent Saeed Al-Mulla, a 19-year-old winger for FC Köln, has received his first-ever call-up to Germany’s senior national team ahead of their final two qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia. Born in Germany to a Lebanese father and a German mother, Al-Mulla has represented Germany across most youth levels.
Despite delivering impressive performances this season with Köln—scoring four goals and assisting twice in 10 Bundesliga matches—Nagelsmann’s decision to call him up drew criticism from several German legends.
Goalkeeping icon Oliver Kahn argued that player selection should not be based on just two or three good matches. Meanwhile, Dietmar Hamann felt Nagelsmann should have waited until next March, stressing the importance of patience when handing young players their first senior caps, especially under heavy media pressure.
The Mac Allister brothers appear together for Argentina
For the first time, Alexis Mac Allister will not be the only representative of his family on the Argentina roster. His older brother, Kevin Mac Allister (28), has earned his first call-up after outstanding defensive performances with Union Saint-Gilloise. Lionel Scaloni selected him as a replacement for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, who withdrew due to a knee injury.
Kevin joins Alexis in the squad for the friendly against Angola, and fans are now waiting to see whether the two brothers will share the pitch together wearing the Albiceleste.
Arab hope for an additional World Cup seat
Seven Arab teams have already sealed qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup—an unprecedented achievement. There is still hope for an eighth Arab representative by the end of the March international window.
This break features a two-legged playoff between Iraq and the UAE within the Asian qualification pathway. The first leg will be played at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, and the second in Basra, Iraq.
The winner will earn a place in the Intercontinental Playoff set for March, where six teams will compete for the final two World Cup spots.
Major teams preparing to bid farewell to the World Cup
While some teams are closing in on qualification, others are on the brink of elimination.
Among Europe’s biggest casualties is Sweden, once a formidable force, now suffering a disastrous qualifying campaign. Sweden sits last in Group B with just one point from four matches—nine points behind leaders Switzerland and six behind second-place Kosovo.
The situation has been described as a “major crisis” by striker Alexander Isak, while Viktor Gyökeres called it “a complete failure.”
Despite sacking coach Jon Dahl Tomasson after losses to Switzerland and Kosovo, and appointing Graham Potter to chase the playoff spot through finishing second, Sweden faces a near-impossible task: beating Switzerland and Slovenia while hoping Kosovo lose to both teams.
Their only remaining hope would be qualifying for the European playoff thanks to topping their Nations League group—provided the higher-ranked teams qualify directly to the World Cup.
Africa prepares to miss one of its giants
The African continent is also brace for disappointment, as one of its traditional powerhouses will miss the next World Cup.
Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon are set to compete in the African playoff that will award just one spot in the intercontinental playoff—meaning either Nigeria or Cameroon will officially miss the World Cup.
New teams set to qualify
So far, 28 teams have officially qualified for the 2026 World Cup. More are expected to join during this window, mainly from Europe:
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France will qualify with a win over Ukraine
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The Netherlands will qualify if they beat Poland
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Germany will qualify with two wins against Luxembourg and Slovakia
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Spain will qualify by beating Georgia then Turkey
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Portugal will qualify if they defeat Ireland
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Belgium will qualify if they beat Kazakhstan
In the CONCACAF region, Honduras and Jamaica appear closest to securing the first available spots.
